Sackings happen at the drop of a hat in Hollywood but the reasons given for this one – if an unnamed source is to be trusted – are particularly obscure.

"We think [Kater Gordon] has done a great job." So why sack her?

"She'll be missed." So why sack her?

"She leaves Mad Men with our love and respect and a well-deserved Emmy." So why sack her?

The following is the only line that even comes close to giving a reason for the dismissal.

"Matt [Weiner] has reluctantly decided that their relationship has reached its full potential." And that's it.

Whoever this source is, they can't be very keen on Weiner, or they wouldn't have given a quote so gapingly open to misinterpretation ("their relationship"?) only a fortnight after news broke of the David Letterman scandal.

There's no evidence that Weiner and Gordon's relationship was anything other than professional. But the internet loves rumours and vague phrasing about "relationships" will only encourage them. Especially so in this case, because Gordon's rise to the top was strikingly fast – she started out as Weiner's PA, but he quickly promoted her to writer's assistant and then staff writer.

When it comes to a sacking, we obviously can't expect full frankness in public. But if the real reason for the dismissal was that, for example, Weiner and Gordon had argued about some future plotline, the source could have said they had "artistic differences". If they couldn't stand the sight of each other any more, the source could have said they had "personal differences". Two wonderful age-old showbusiness stand-bys there, begging to be used.